The Moon Slayer
by Darthlane
Summary: Zhao's descent into madness. I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender
**Hey guys! I'm sure this is the first time reading anything of mine for all of you, so welcome! I am a sucker for POV's of unusual characters, especially villains, so writing this was fun for me.**

Zhao gazed down into the pool of water. So the library had been correct. What he had been looking for, he had found it. There they were, the spirits Tui and La. The Moon and Ocean spirits, respectively. Swimming in a circle, the reflection of the moon cast perfectly within their dance.

Zhao knew what they would be, but it was still amazing to think that such powerful spirits were contained in such small vessels. Why fish? He shook his head slowly. It had been a very foolish mistake on their part.

He reached into the pool and grabbed the white fish. The spirit Tui, the Moon. La swam away from the danger. Zhao lifted Tui out of the pool, shoving it into a bag. It tried its best to squirm away, but Zhao wasn't letting the spirit get away.

All his work, everything he had done, had led up to this moment. He had finally captured the Moon spirit. He, Zhao, had done it! Now the Water Tribes would be helpless, and the Fire Nation unstoppable. He smiled, holding up his catch. He was a hero.

The night turned red, and Zhao suddenly felt more powerful. As though it was day once again.

He laughed. "I am a legend now." Zhao said to his troops. "The Fire Nation will for generations tell stories about the great Zhao, who darkened the moon. They will call me Zhao the Conqueror. Zhao the Moon Slayer! Zhao the Invincible!" Am I a disappointment now, Master Jeong Jeong?

Suddenly his gloating was interrupted when a creature landed on his head and began tugging at Zhao's beard. He quickly figured out that it was that monkey thing he had seen with the Avatar.

"Get it off!" he shouted. "Get it off!"

Before anyone could grab it the flying monkey jumped off of Zhao's head and flew across the pool of water. Zhao looked up and saw the last thing he wanted to see.

The Avatar.

Zhao and his troops assumed fighting positions, and the Avatar and his friends did the same.

The Waterbender girl he traveled with was harmless for now, but the Avatar was still a powerful enemy. There was a better way to handle the situation.

"Don't bother." Zhao said, holding up the bag with the Moon spirit inside and pointing his other fist at it. The message was clear.

The Avatar dropped his staff, putting his hands in the air. "Zhao! Don't!"

That boy was so naïve. Didn't he realize it was already over? "It's my destiny. To destroy the Moon. And the Water Tribe."

"Destroying the Moon wont hurt just the Water Tribe." The boy pleaded. "It will hurt everyone. Including you. Without the moon, everything will fall out of balance. You have no idea what kind of chaos that would unleash on the world."

Zhao froze for a second. What if the boy was right? This could possibly have some kind of effect on the Fire Nation

"He is right, Zhao." Said another voice. Zhao turned to see another face he wasn't very pleased to see.

"General Iroh." Zhao said softly. "Why am I not surprised to discover your treachery?"

"I am no traitor, Zhao." The old General said, removing his hood. "The Fire Nation needs the moon, too. We all depend on the balance. Whatever you do to that spirit, I'll unleash on you tenfold!" he was suddenly battle ready. "Let it go, now!"

Zhao honestly did not want to face the old Prince. Iroh was quite skilled, more skilled than Zhao was, as much as he loathed to admit it.

He settled down to his knees, and let Tui back into the water. The colors of the world returned to normal, restoring balance once again. Tui and La began their dance once more. Zhao stood up again, feeling defeated.

But why should he be? Iroh couldn't stop him from doing what needed to be done. He had to do this. For the Fire Nation!

He let out a powerful Firebending strike, hitting the fish.

He had done it. He had killed the moon spirit.

Suddenly all the color of the world drained away. It was just gone. And in the sky, so was the moon. What was going on? None of the scrolls he had found in the library had said anything about this.

Zhao was shaken from his thoughts when Iroh launched several bursts of fire at Zhao. Zhao dodged the first few and blocked another, slipping behind his men. His troops attempted to take on the famed Dragon of the West. In mere seconds all four were on the ground, defeated by the renowned general. Zhao had never seen anything like it, not even from Jeong Jeong.

Zhao turned and ran. He had to get back to his ship, and return to the Fire Nation. He would be welcomed as a hero. No amount of words from that old senile man could change that.

He navigated his way through the city of ice and snow, never slowing down. He had done it, he had actually done it. The Moon spirit was dead now. He was truly the Moon Slayer!

Suddenly a burst of fire hit the ice a few paces in front of him. Zhao couldn't believe that Iroh, that fat old man, could have caught him. How much had he been hiding?

Zhao turned around to face the old man, but was surprised to see not Iroh, but a face he had thought he would never see again.

Prince Zuko.

"You're alive?" Zhao asked. He couldn't believe this. It was impossible. He had seen the explosion himself. There was no way Zuko could be alive!

Yet there he was.

"You tried to have me killed!" the prince snarled. He threw several fireballs at Zhao. The admiral rolled out of the way.

"Yes I did." Zhao admitted to Zuko as the prince walked out of the smoke his attack had caused. Maybe this was a good thing. Now he could kill the welp himself. And, of course, some pirates later. "You are the Blue Spirit, an enemy of the Fire Nation. You freed the Avatar." Zhao had been proud of himself, figuring that out. When he had seen the clues on Zuko's ship he hadn't wanted to believe it at first. Of all the people to betray the Fire Nation, how could it be the prince? But there was no denying it. Zuko was the traitor.

"I had no choice." Zuko said as he launched another series of fireballs.

Zhao blocked them easily. Zuko wasn't anything like the Firebender his uncle or father are. Zhao slipped off his tattered cloak. "You should have chosen to accept your failure. You're a disgrace. Then, at least, you could have lived!" Zhao attacked back with his own flames, Zuko barely dodging. Zuko attacked again but Zhao ducked under it. He tried to sweep Zuko's legs out from under him, but Zuko jumped over the sweep and ran around to catch Zhao from behind and Zhao whirled around to keep his backside protected. They shot a few close flurries at each other, deflecting each other's attacks, and then Zuko jumped clean over Zhao, still trying to get behind him. Zhao again whirled around and struck at Zuko, but the prince dodged to the side and struck Zhao in the ribs, knocking him off of the ledge. Zuko leapt down after him.

Zhao didn't like how this was going. He clutched his burned ribs and ran, Zuko hot on his heels. They came across a bridge and Zhao whirled around, trying to catch Zuko by surprise. The prince wasn't fazed at all and they continued their fight. They both launched attack after attack at each other, and Zhao could feel himself losing the edge in this fight. Before Zhao could think of something to do, Zuko hit him with a particularly powerful attack, knocking Zhao to the ground.

Zhao couldn't believe it. This couldn't be the same spoiled brat he had faced back at that naval base in the south.

Zhao noticed something behind Zuko. There was color again, and impossibly, the moon.

"It can't be." Zhao exclaimed. He had killed the spirit himself. He had saved the Fire Nation. What was going on?

Suddenly the moon was blocked out. Tendrils of water were rising above the two of them and were encapsulating them within. Zuko jumped out of the way as the water darted to wrap around Zhao. The water somehow lifted him into the air like a hand, and was carrying him towards the depths of the freezing water.

Zuko ran over. "Take my hand!" he shouted, reaching for Zhao.

Zhao was torn. This was Zuko. He could never ever accept being saved by the prince, but if he didn't he would die.

But at least he would die with something Zuko could never have. Honor.

Zhao pulled his hand to himself. He would accept his fate. He would die a hero.

The water hand dragged him below the surface, and suddenly it was hard to breathe. The light above retreated, getting farther and farther away.

I am Zhao the Conqueror, he thought.

I am Zhao the Moon Slayer.

I am…

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